{
  "id": 18416455,
  "title": "ADDRESSING THE BANE OF DEFORESTATION",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/addressing-the-bane-of-deforestation",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T01:14:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/11/06/addressing-the-bane-of-deforestation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The conservation of Nigeria's forests is a pressing issue that requires the collective effort of all stakeholders. Forests are vital to maintaining the country's environment, providing resources for wildlife, and offering economic, aesthetic, and religious value to humans. Tragically, Nigeria loses over 300 hectares of forest reserve daily due to illegal logging and hunting, a problem that has been acknowledged by the Conservator General of the National Park Service, Mr. Ibrahim Goni. This revelation, compounded by a report from the United Nations, highlights that Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate globally, with a loss of 3.7% of its forest every year. Only 4% of the country's untouched forest cover remains, with 1.5 million trees felled daily due to illegal logging, threatening the survival of 484 plant species.\n\nThe significance of Nigeria's remaining forests cannot be overstated, as they host about 4000 different plant species, some of which have medicinal properties, as well as unique wildlife found nowhere else in the world. However, these forests are under threat due to a lack of capacity, inadequate funding, and support at the National Park Service level. To combat this crisis, there is an urgent need to reset Nigeria's environmental agenda, enhance the fight against insurgency and banditry, and increase funding and support for forest protection initiatives such as the Great Green Wall Project. Stricter laws and greater transparency in the use of Ecological Funds are also essential, as is addressing the country's power generation challenges to reduce reliance on power generating sets. By implementing these measures, Nigeria can take significant steps towards reclaiming its natural environment and preserving its biodiversity for future generations.",
  "summary": "All stakeholders should do more to tackle the country’s faltering environment Ordinarily, forests are home to wildlife which perform a broad range of critical environmental and climatic functions. These include",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}